Nathaniel Hawthorne
Why did Nathaniel Hawthorne change his last name from Hathorne to Hawthorne?
He did not want to be associated with John Hathorne, a judge who ordered many people to their death during the Salem Witchtrials
What happened to Georgiana when the birthmark went away?
She died and her soul went up to heaven.
What did the guest want in life?
He wanted to achieve fame and success. He wanted to have a purpose in life and have people build him monuments for what he achieved in life. He also wanted to travel.
The grandmother and the daughter
The grandmother and the daughter are two of the most important and prominent symbols in the story. Hawthorne uses these two women to symbolize happiness by showing their happy nature through his writing. He even goes as far to describe the women as Happiness itself.
Who were the Romantics?
Literary rebels who wrote about strong emotion, the power of nature, and the supernatural.
When and where was Nathaniel Hawthorne born?
July 4th, 1804, in Salem Massachusetts.
What does Alymer ask Georgiana in regards to her face?
If she ever wanted to remove her birthmark.
Who came to visit the family? How was he described?
A young man visited the family. He seemed bleak and almost had no emotion at first, but when he saw the warm welcome he was given he was happy to sit and meet the family. He was kind and shared his life story and wishes with the family.
The location of the home.
In the story, the house is located in a beautiful but dangerous location. The location of the home represents the danger of being too close to nature, which is oftentimes unpredictable and unsafe. This contributes to the overall theme of lack of safety, regardless of one’s life choices.
What did Nathaniel Hawthorne hope to show through the story of The Birthmark?
Obsessive love and the conflict between science and nature.
Where is Hawthorne buried?
The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Concord, Massachusetts
What happened in Alymer’s dream?
He tried to remove the birthmark but the more he cut with his knife to get the birthmark out the more it sank until the hand eventually grabbed ahold of Georgiana’s heart.
Why was the area the family lived in considered “beautiful but dangerous?”
The area surrounding the house was beautiful but there was a mountain that loomed above the house which put the family in constant danger of rockslides destroying their home and possibly killing them.
The family.
The family in the story represents the choice for a modest life spent in one location. There is not much action that takes place within the household which strikes the reader with the warmth and happiness within the family.
How does Hawthorne convey the theme of obsession throughout the story?
He shows Alymer’s obsession for science. Alymer loves science more than he loves his own wife which is shown by him trying to use science to remove her birthmark. It also shows Georgiana’s obsession with pleasing and loving her husband. She will do anything, including dying, in order to please her husband.
When did Hawthorne write his most famous novel The Scarlet Letter?
Hawthorne wrote this novel in 1850.
How did some people say the birthmark got on Georgiana’s cheek?
A fairy laid her hand on Georgiana’s cheek when Georgiana was born.
What happened when the family went to the safe spot to avoid the rockslide? What happened to the family’s house?
They put themselves right in the path of the rockslide and they were all buried under the rocks. The family’s house was left unharmed.
The road outside the home.
In the story, the house is located on a well traveled road. The travelers often stop to take a break from their journeys. The road represents the walk of life. This is shown through the frequent travellers making their way down the path or their own journey of life.
What does the birthmark represent?
It represents nature. It has a hold on Georgiana’s life force and when it is gone she dies. This shows that you cannot control nature.
When did Hawthorne publish his first novel? What was the name of that novel?
Hawthorne published his first novel in 1828. The novel was named Fanshawe.
How did Alymer show Georgiana that the elixir was safe for her to use?
He poured it on a spotted Geranium and the spots went away without harming the flower.
What happened to the guest after the rockslide?
Nobody really knows what happened to the guest. Some believe that he shared the same fate as the family, but others believe that he was able to escape the rockslide but was never heard from again.
The monument
The rocks covering the guest and the family symbolize the monument they had been discussing throughout the night. The guest kept talking about how by the time he dies he will have a monument built for him for all of his success in life and his purpose in life. In a chilling way the rocks represent a twist in the story. The man was meant to die in the rockslide, thus the rocks became his monument he wanted so bad.
What does Alymer represent?
Alymer represents science. He is arrogant and overconfident in his abilities. He often ponders how he can change nature.